SAE paper No. 961010, "Adaptive Cruise Control, System Aspects and Development Trends" by Hermann Winner et al., describes an adaptive cruise control. The adaptive cruise control is equipped with sensors for detecting obstacles located in front of the vehicle. The adaptive cruise controller detects the distance to the obstacles located in front of the vehicle and their relative speed. It selects, as a function of additional sensor signals, the closest obstacle and, if necessary, reduces the speed of the cruise speed of the vehicle equipped with the adaptive cruise control.
In the ATZ--Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift [Automotive Technology Journal] '96 (1994) article "FDR--Fahrdynamikregelung von Bosch" [FDR--Driving dynamics control by Bosch], a system is presented in which the yaw rate of the vehicle is measured and compared with a target value derived from the longitudinal speed and the steering angle of the vehicle. If the measured yaw rate exceeds the corresponding target value, the yaw characteristics of the vehicle can be influenced using wheel-individual overbraking or underbraking and/or intervention in the engine controller in order to increase driving stability. Furthermore, it is known from the ATZ article that the friction coefficient between the road surface and the vehicle tires can be estimated from the estimated longitudinal velocity and the measured transversal acceleration.
In conventional vehicles, the brake lights are in general activated as a direct function of a brake pedal actuation.
German Utility Model No. GM 91 08 827 shows a signaling device for controlling a brake light in a motor vehicle, where the position of the accelerator pedal, actuated by the driver of the vehicle, is evaluated to determine a sudden decrease in the vehicle acceleration. A moderate easing on the accelerator pedal, as occurs under normal conditions, does not trigger brake light activation, while in the case of a sudden let-up on the accelerator pedal, such as occurs in the event of emergency braking, the brake lights are activated. The selection of the accelerator pedal position at which brake light activation takes place always represents a compromise between the avoidance of an unnecessary activation of the brake lights in the event where no emergency braking follows the easing on the accelerator pedal and the necessary activation of the brake lights in the event where the accelerator pedal position change is followed by emergency braking.